nxylas

Or, in the case of universal healthcare, every other country in the developed world.

Duncs

You got there before me on that one.

This may explain why even though 15% of GDP goes on health care in the USA whilst only 9% of GDP is spent on health in the UK the USA is ranked number 72 on the World Health Organisations(WHO) international ranking of countries health whilst Britain with all its NHS delays is number 24.

I was never such as big supporter of the NHS but my experience of health care here has converted me into a true believer in universal health care. (That and my mum getting breast cancer in the UK.)

But even so i wont be holding my breath for (Socialist/Liberal) John Kerry to introduce a Universal health care scheme anytime soon. Congress is owned by big Pharma & medical companies and money is the final say of all things in the good ole US 0f $.

rincewind

Now you sound like Paul Daniels.

"If Tony Blair is elected, I'm leaving England."

Not even that could make him disappear. He's still there Some magician.

But I'm here, so that's okay.

Which is why many patients get their meds from Canada and the US are trying to stop it.

nxylas

I overheard a conversation when I was out the other day. The people involved were obviously talking about Britain, or Canada, or some other country with universal healthcare. It went something like this:-

Woman: "...they have socialised medicine, they have socialised education, the people there have no incentive to (indistinct) themselves. The goverment does it all for them".

Man: "Yeah, but if you have a heart problem, you have to wait in line".

Woman: "Oh yes. I just got a cataract operation after 4 months. They couldn't do that".

I don't normally butt into other people's conversations, but I had to bite my tongue on that one. Anyone know what the waiting time for a cataract operation is on the NHS?

nxylas

Yeah, sadly in this age of globalisation and empire-building, it's more likely that the WTO et al will impose American-style healthcare on the rest of the world than the other way around.

Lion in Winter

Yes, no breath-holding please. I don't see any lurch (no pun intended) toward mutual social responsibility here anytime soon! People here talk about "liberals" as though they were the next thing to Chairman Mao, when in fact the liberal philosophy, of the rights of individuals and the participation in government and the power to change government being seated in the individual, is the founding philosophy of this country. Needless to say, I will now make a cynical remark about how the monied interests of this country have made a joke of the founding liberal principles.:lecture:

NC Penguin

To me the healthcare in the US is based on how much income you have. Even if a person has has access to subsidized healthcare through employment, it's a sizeable monthly premium. Then, if the family includes children under the age of 21, the premium's even higher.

Found some stats from the US Census about health insurance cover for people living in the US. See-

http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-223.pdf

Scorchio

A quick google brought up this article :

"Under the Government’s £40 million contract with Netcare, the South African healthcare firm that runs the unit, 40,000 cataract operations will be carried out over the next five years. Waiting times are expected to fall from nine months to four by the end of this year."

Albeit in a caravan, in the car park.

Hmm.

edwords

I'm self employed. I pay over $900 per month for health insurance (for my wife and I). I'd rather pay that high rate than have government-run healthcare.
At any rate, if you think healthcare is expensive now, just wait until it's free.

Jxab12

I would agree with this view. I was at a Kerry fundraiser back in November on Center Island. He did the usual mingle thing, followed by a 20 min speech on healthcare, his Vietnam record and his pure hatred of the GOP. He did come across with quite socialist views on many topics. Then of course he collected large sums of money from everybody and left (by helicopter!).

Duncs

Lucky that you have the choice but not much use to someone who earns minimum wage at $5.15 x 40 hours a week = $206 per week = $824 they couldnt afford the healthcare you have even if they spent their entire monthly wage on it and thats the problem.

You seem happy enough to let others die (around 18,000 per year 6 x the world trade center every year) that you might enjoy a marginally faster cataract operation, bully for you! you truly have become americanised.

If you think i am exagerating about that i suggest you read this report and at least know your facts:

http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=17632

Pimpbot

What do you think of Bush using scene's from sept 11th in a new campaign advert?. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3534533.stm

I personally find it very distasteful.

Lion in Winter

It wasn't Irak or Saddam who attacked the U.S. It wasn't even the Taliban. People keep forgetting this, in the face of the failure to capture bin Laden and in the need to revenge the 3000 murders somehow. The U.S. is not being overrun. It is overrunning, and in the process alienating and angering millions more people, providing fertile ground for the creation of crazed, violent lunatics.
As Noam Chomsky said, "if you don't like mosquitos, stop creating swamps."

The only thing I can agree with you on here is the lack of a Presidential candidate worthy of the task.

Duncs

Well with a President that actually bothered to read his briefs maybe the CIA 's warning in July that Al Queda appeared to be planning to hijack planes in the U.S would have been acted upon rather than shelved until after the longest Presidential holiday in history and the original attack could have been thwarted.

Invading Iraq has done absolutely zero to protect America in fact quite the opposite it has most likely created more enemies. There is no prospect of America being 'overun' as you say and your characterisation of Islam is just racist drivel. I have no doubt that President Gore would have been a better President and personally i believe we would ultimately be safer with a foreign policy distinctly different to the one we have got. Hey what do i know i just spent most of my adult life combating terrorists in one way or another. If i had just spent more time listening to Anne Coulter or Bill O'Reilly them maybe I could have your own amazing grasp of the complexities of international terrorism and security.

Pimpbot

How about all the UN resolutions the Israelis have broken. Doesnt appear that Bush gives two shits about them. Yet Iraq which was under control through the no fly zones and sanctions, but was invaded.